Priestess of the Stars
by Lilgemini0f93
Summary: As the new Celestial Priestess, Yukino Aguria is given the task of collecting the twelve zodiac keys before the dark wizard cult, Grimoire Heart, does. To complete her mission, she enlists the help of a dragon hunter duo, Sting and Rogue, and their cat-like companions, Lector and Frosch. Together with them, Yukino faces a challenge greater than anything she's ever known.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was a lovely day in early spring. As the sun reached the center of the sky, Yukino cupped her hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight that turned the grass hill she laid upon a brilliant yellow-green. Yukino rolled over onto her stomach, using her arms as a head rest, and let the sun beat down onto the back of her white dress. She closed her eyes and could the faint sound of human voices in the distance. One of them undoubtedly would belong to her mother, who at this time of day would otherwise be bustling about the kitchen getting supper ready. But today was different and instead of preparing meals for four, her mother would prepare meals for almost three hundred, along with the other women in charge of cooking.

Today was special indeed, for tonight would be the night of the annual Festival of Stars.

Yukino and her sister Sorano looked forward to the festival every year. To celebrate the founders of their clan, the Zodiac Clan, were guided by the stars to the land, which they made their home, all of the clan would come together and eat, dance, sing, and play games until sunrise. They would also honor the spirits of the Zodiac by wearing blue, purple, white, and singing songs dedicated to them. What Yukino loved most about the festival was how the stars always seemed to shine brighter than usual, as if they were obliged for being honored. Ever since she was a child, Yukino had been mesmerized by the stars sparking in the night sky. She would reach out to them, trying to touch them, not knowing they were far out of her reach. Though she couldn't touch them, they had touched her heart.

"Yukino!" A voice that sounded like bells suddenly reached the young girl's ears. Yukino rose up and smiled at the sight of her lovely big sister. Though lovely would be an understatement; Sorano was known throughout the clan for her beauty and angelic grace. There were some who thought of her as angel. The way her long, light-colored hair seemed to glow in the sunlight gave off the impression of angelic aura and it was enough to make most men weak.

"Goodness, you're a mess!" Sorano said as she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head at her younger sister. Yukino looked down at herself; her once-clean white dress was now covered with grass stains. Her bare feet were brown with dirt and she suspected her hair was messed up, too.

"Honestly, you ought to have a little more self-respect," Sorano said. "Laying around in the dirt is for pigs. You're not a pig, are you?"

Yukino brushed grass off her dress. "I was lying in the grass, not the dirt."

Sorano frowned. "Not the point. Oh, never mind, it's time to get ready anyway. Let's go back to the house and get you cleaned up."

She turned and started to walk through the thicket of trees that stretched out to surround the grassy field where Yukino's hill sat. The young girl scampered to catch up with her sister and walked alongside her.

"I do know what you mean," Yukino said. "But I can't help it if I like running barefoot and lying in the sun. Don't you remember when we used to race each other barefoot in the field and go swimming in the pond?"

"Yes, but I'm not a child anymore and neither are you," Sorano said without looking at her. "You're eighteen and you know mother wants you to start acting your age if you are ever to get married."

_Marriage_, that's all every girl in Yukino and Sorano's age group thought about. To them, getting engaged was more thrilling than anything they could think of. And so they spent most of their time hanging about places where they were sure to be young men in hopes that they were looking to get married. This was not the case with Yukino or Sorano, although the elder sister had a handful of suitors to choose from.

"Speaking of marriage, if you don't choose a husband soon, I think mother will choose one for you," Yukino said.

Their mother had been urging Sorano as well as Yukino to start courting young men but so far neither of them had done what she wanted, and Yukino knew that their mother was getting impatient and would want them to get married soon. Arranged marriage was a possibility that hung in the air.

Sorano waved her hand at the comment. "I'll get married when I'm good and ready. Mother will just have to wait."

"You're no better than me," Yukino said with a smirk. "In the end, you're just not ready to grow up either, are you?"

Sorano let out a humph and the two continued on their way to their house in silence. The sun began to set and the festival would soon begin. From the window, Yukino saw lanterns being hung up and tables being laid out as she sat in a tub filled with warm water. As soon as she was clean, Yukino dried herself off and Sorano helped her change into a light blue dress that was sleeveless and stopped just above her ankles.

As her sister brushed her short, light-colored hair, Yukino regarded her reflection in the mirror in front of her. Though many thought her very pretty, Yukino could not help but feel plain next to her sister. In her light-colored lilac dress, Sorano resembled a maiden from one of the paintings of their clan's earliest culture, who looked like she had descended from the heavens. Compared to her, Yukino presumed she looked ordinary.

"There," Sorano had finished brushing her hair and bent down to her sister's height in her chair. "Now you look lovely…what's wrong?" She caught sight of Yukino's expression in the mirror. The young girl always admired the way her sister could tell when something wasn't right, even when things seemed normal.

Yukino sighed. "I just can't help but feel…average-looking next to you."

"Nonsense," Sorano's arms went around her sister's neck. "You're as pretty as a spring flower. Don't believe for a minute that you're average-looking. But if it will makes you feel any better, I'll try not to stand next to you too much. "

Yukino giggled. "You know that I would want you by my side no matter what."

Even if Yukino felt inferior to her big sister, the two shared a bond that neither of them would dare to sever. Yukino looked up to and admired Sorano a guide of sorts, and Sorano in return adored her. Sometimes Yukino felt like she loved her sister more than she loved her parents.

Just as they hugged, their mother came bursting through the door wearing an apron covered in flour with her face just as white.

"Mama, you look-," Sorano started but their mother stopped her.

"No time, we need to leave. Now," she said frantically.

Both of her daughters looked at each other and, just as they were about to ask why, a terrified scream came from outside. The glass window pane suddenly shattered as a bright and warm ball of light came crashing through, causing the girls to gasp. As the light landed on the floor, the wood soon caught fire and Yukino barely had time to pull away from it.

"Get outside! Quickly!" Her mother cried. Sorano grabbed her sister by the hand and let her out of the house. The smell of smoke reached Yukino's nostrils as she stepped outside. Lanterns had been knocked down and the flames they carried were spreading quickly across the earth. Frightened women ran past them, pulling their children behind them as they ran to get away from the flames.

A large explosion suddenly burst in front of the three of them, throwing them back. Yukino cried out and landed on the ground next to Sorano. She lifted herself up and saw her mother lying still on the ground in front of them.

"Mama!" Both Yukino and Sorano cried out and scrambled over to their wounded mother. There were brown and red marks all over her chest, she had taken most of the hit. The tears welled up in Yukino's eye as the color of her mother's face began to turn a horrific white.

"No, she can't be…," She whispered and choked back a sob. Sorano covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes.

Another explosion went off and the two girls were forced to flee from their dead mother, their hearts heavy with grief. More explosions went off behind them as they ran deep into the thicket. Yukino glanced behind her and caught sight of an elderly man with white hair and a long beard. Beside him were two younger men; one with long spiky blond hair and the other with a long black hair tied in a clothed ponytail and black side burns. She felt a chill down her spine as she watched the three men step over bodies that were sprawled over their path. The elder man raised his hand and a strange rune circle appeared before. Before Yukino had time to gasp, a large explosion came at her and Sorano and sent them flying. The young girl landed with a thud on the ground, but the fall had little impact on her and she rose quickly to look for her sister. Yukino froze when she spotted her lying still on the ground several feet away from her. In an instant, she was at Sorano's side and lifted her beloved sister's body into her arms. Sobbing, Yukino pleaded with the older girl to open her eyes but to no avail. Sorano's beautiful face became as pale as their mother's, causing Yukino to wail as tears fell heavily from her eyes. Her sister was gone…her mother was gone…Yukino's heart was shattered.

For what seemed for like a long time, she didn't move. She couldn't move, her legs were glued to the earth. Yukino no longer heeded the danger around her, the sounds of her people shrieking in terror, or the smell of the houses being burned down. She just sat there, holding the body of her sister, until it was silent.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The world had never felt so dark and cold to Yukino as she stood before the graves of her mother and beloved sister. She spoke not a word but stood as still and silent as the trees surrounding her. Wind blew the debris of the fire, and the smell of burnt wood hit Yukino's nose and her eyes began to water. As much as she had cried as she watched the bodies of her mother and sister be lowered into the ground and covered with dirt, she still managed to shed tears for the burned-down village that was once her home.

It wasn't fair; first her father died in the war when she was a little girl and now her mother and Sorano were gone as well. And they were not the only ones. All but a handful of the clan had perished in the fire caused by the mysterious men Yukino had seen. They had destroyed her family, and her home, and for what? That was something Yukino did not know.

The sound of the rustling of leaves behind her alerted the girl of another's presence, yet she did not turn around. She kept her back to whoever it was and a hand came to rest upon her shoulder.

"Dear Yukino, please listen," a familiar voice spoke gently. Yukino slowly turned to face Houka, the chief elder of the clan and her teacher. The elderly man gave her a small smile, yet his eyes were sad and full of despair. The destruction of their clan had not been easy for either of them or any of the survivors.

"I am sorry for your loss, my dear." Houka said as he eased younger woman onto a large and flat-surfaced rock. "It's terrible, as it has been for all of us. Our great civilization has been ruined. But we mustn't let our despair bring us down; there are very few of us still alive but we can still rebuild our civilization. Our history and our culture has survived along with us and with it, we can restore our clan."

For the first time since she held her sister's body, Yukino spoke. "So that is our path, is it, Master?"

"_Our_ path, yes," the old man said. "Yours, however, shall be different."

Yukino looked up at him with a curious look on her face. Houka nodded.

"It's time you know," He said and stood up; he began to walk away and then turned and beckoned her to follow. Yukino obeyed and Houka led her through the thicket of trees to a small cavern just outside the remains of their ruined village. He lit a torch and walked into the darkness of the cavern with Yukino right behind him, their footsteps echoed by the cracking sound of rocks underneath their feet.

"As you know," Houka began. "Our clan was founded over three centuries ago, by our forefathers who were guided to this land by the stars. But there is more to the story than you think."

He stopped and held up the torch to shine brightly on the left wall of the cavern. As the light hit the wall, etched figures of man, animal and beasts were illuminated.

"These illustrations tell the story of our forefathers' journey," Houka explained. "And they also reveal our clan's greatest secret."

"350 years ago, this land harbored a place called Astral Spirytus, which housed twelve stones that represented the twelve Zodiac spirits; Leo, Virgo, Capricorn, Gemini, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Aries, Aquarius, Taurus, and Cancer", Houka spoke as he gestured toward twelve figures in the shape of a lion, a woman, a goat, twin babies, a scale, a fish, a centaur, a scorpion, a ram, a mermaid, a bull, and a crab, all surrounding a figure that resembled a small house.

Houka pointed to the outline of a woman standing next to them. "A mage named Ayuma was charged by fate to protect the stones. She learned magic from the spirits and became what is known today as the Celestial Priestess."

He then pointed to the outline of a man cloaked in black. "One day, a dark wizard named Zeref came to this land looking to steal the twelve stones. Despite Ayuma's attempts to stop him, Zeref managed to get the stones. He then used his dark magic to seal away the stones' power, so that he would the spirits under his control, but Ayuma managed to thwart him. She turned the stones into keys and used them to summon the zodiac spirits. She and the spirits defeated Zeref and he retreated but Ayuma was greatly weakened by the fight and so the spirits guided our forefathers-" Houka gestured to three figures shaped like men."-to the land. Ayuma made a deal with them; if they promised to protect the twelve keys, then she would allow them to make the land their home. Our forefathers agreed and hid the keys all over the country, only keeping one."

Houka reached into one of the pockets of his robe and pulled out a gold object. He held it out and Yukino saw it was a key with Libra's symbol at the end.

"The Key of the Scales, Libra," Houka said. "It is now yours, Yukino".

"But why?" Yukino asked.

"Because it is you who has been chosen by fate to succeed Ayuma," said Houka. "It is you who has been chosen to become the next Celestial Priestess."

Yukino's eye went wide and she let out a loud gasp; she didn't know what to say. As Houka led her out of the cavern, Yukino held the Libra key in her hand and felt a strange pulse run up her arm and a chill went down her spine.

"What am I supposed to do, Master?" She asked.

Houka turned to her. "As the Celestial Priestess, you have the power to summon all twelve zodiac spirits at once. You must journey and collect the other eleven keys before Grimoire Heart does."

"Grimoire Heart?" Yukino asked.

Houka sighed. "They are a dangerous group of dark wizards who dedicated to Zeref. They follow him blindly and are just as ruthless and power-mad as he is. They are the ones who did _this_ –" he gestured to their ruined land. "- to our people."

"Were they the men I saw yesterday?" Yukino asked, remembering the old man and the two young men who attacked her and her sister.

Houka nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so, and there are more of them. They are Zeref's loyal followers."

"But I thought Zeref lived over 300 years ago," Yukino said.

"Alas, I'm afraid Zeref's dark powers have granted him immortality," Houka said. "He cannot die, but there is one force strong enough to defeat him." He looked Yukino straight in the eye. "The Celestial Spirit King. He stands above all of the Zodiac as the ruler of the stars. Only the Celestial Priestess has seen him, for she is the only one with the power to summon him."

"I can summon the Celestial Spirit King?" Yukino asked astonishingly.

"Yes, but only when you have gathered all twelve keys," Houka said. "And you must find them before them before Grimoire Heart does. Because if they collect them all before you do, there will be no way to stop them or Zeref."

"What do you mean?" Yukino said.

"If they were to gather all twelve keys, then Zeref will able to summon a great force with his dark magic," said Houka. "A force which has sealed away in the heavens for centuries. It is what is known as the Dark Numen"

Yukino said nothing; she couldn't imagine what kind of power this Dark Numen possessed but judging by the sound of Master Houka's voice when he spoke of it, it was bound to be something far worse than what had transpired over several hours.

"This is your destiny, young Yukino," Houka said. "You must find the keys; if Zeref summons the Dark Numen, then the tragedy that is befallen upon our clan will befall upon the world."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sting wiped sweat away from his brow as he leaned against a tree trunk. Despite being in the shade, he could still feel the heat of the day as the warm air hit his face. The heat made his skin hot and sticky and his throat dry, which made him wish he had filled his canteen like Rogue suggested before they left the inn. Sting didn't know why he hadn't listened to his partner. Perhaps he was too eager to get on with their next job to think about staying hydrated. But who could blame him? A reward of ten thousand jewels in exchange for slaying a few dragons was enough to make Sting giddy about the job. He could hardly waste time getting water. But now, as the sun's harsh rays beat down on him, he wished he had wasted time. He could only hope now that Rogue would return from town with fresh water soon. Sting would've gone with him but their latest job had exhausted him, though Rogue had written him off as too lazy to walk all the way back before heading to town. Sting's partner had decided that staying hydrated was more important than any job and had filled his canteen before he and Sting left. He did not, as Sting expected, plan on having to share his water as his partner complained his throat was dry. Rogue belittled him before handing him his canteen, which was exchanged between the two along journey back to town and was emptied halfway. Rogue had left only moments before to retrieve fresh water and, considering the walk to the nearest well and back, Sting suspected it would be several minutes before he would return.

With a sigh, Sting stretched and lay back onto the grass. He really was tired after fighting dragons, especially since they were exceptionally strong, and decided that once he and Rogue got back to their inn, he would take a long, cold shower, and then go to bed. Trying to rest now would be futile as the sun shone through the tree's branches and right onto his face. Sting let out a groan and turned on his side, allowing the light to hit the back of his neck. He closed his eyes and slowly began to drift off until he felt a cold splash fall onto the side of his face. He immediately sat up and saw Rogue standing over him with a small smile on his face and a canteen in his hand.

"What was that for?" Sting demanded, slightly annoyed even though he was glad to have the cool sensation against his dry skin.

"I was afraid you had passed out," Rogue said. "And you said you wanted water, right?"

He handed the canteen to Sting, who snatched it away with a huff. "That is _not _how I wanted it."

"Relax, Sting, ol'buddy," a small voice piped from below. "At least you're cooled off a little now, right?

Sting looked down to see Lector, his talking cat companion, smiling at him. He smiled back and ruffled Lector's furry maroon head. "Yeah, you're right."

"Fro thinks so, too!" Rogue's cat companion, Frosch, agreed. The green-furred, frog-suit-wearing cat was now perched on Rogue's shoulder. Rogue shot him a smile and sat down next to his partner under the tree.

Sting let out a sigh of relief as the cool water flowed down his throat and he felt the chill radiate over his body.

"Just what I needed," he said as he put the cap back on the canteen.

"Besides a shower?" Rogue said with a smirk.

"Look who's talking; you're just as sweaty and smelly as I am," Sting retorted.

"All in a day's work," his partner said as he sat down next to him.

Rogue laid his sword, the Dark Shadow Blade, next to Sting's Holy Light's Blade. The two swords stood out next to each other with their black and white sheaths and their handles. The Holy Light's Blade was broader than the Dark Shadow Blade, and it's handle was carved in the shape of a white dragon while the Dark Shadow Blade's handle was carved so it looked as though a long black dragon was coiling it's body around it.

Enjoying the peace and quiet, the two dragon hunters sat with their cats at their side and drank their water in silence as they watched sun begin to set. The sky turned a bright orange-red and the air began to cool, which was a welcome change to the two young men who had been walking around in the hot sun all day long.

"I could almost sleep here tonight," Sting sighed in content.

"But then how would you get clean?" Rogue smirked. "I doubt we'll find any food out here, much less a place where we can take a bath."

"Rogue's right, Sting," Lector said. "Besides, I smelled mutton when we left the town. I don't think I want to miss out on that."

"I don't, either," Sting chuckled. "A good meal and then a bath may just what I need before we leave tomorrow."

Being hunters-for-hire, Sting and Rogue traveled around the country to wherever people were being terrorized by dragons, and were willing to pay to have them eradicated. It was not an easy job; truth be told, anyone else who tried to get kill a dragon only ended being eaten or fried to a crisp. However, for warriors like Sting and Rogue, who had been trained well in the art of slaying dragons since they were young, it proved to be easier for them than for others. They had finished the job the mayor had hired them to do-get rid of the dragons that had been swooping up young women and children-and were planning to head out to their next job in a southeast village the next day. It would be a long journey and, quite honestly, neither of them were looking forward to it.

"I think a vacation may be just what all of us need," Lector said.

"Fro thinks, too," The little green cat was half-asleep lying next to Rogue.

"Maybe another time; the way things are right now, people will be looking to hire us," Sting said, although he had to admit that a vacation sounded really good. Ever since dragons had been flooding in more in the last few months, he and Rogue had been working nonstop eradicating them at people's request.

It was a wonder why the country had suddenly become so infested with the vicious beasts. Dragons hadn't really been a huge problem before but now they were practically everywhere and were really starting to become a nuisance. People were being eaten, homes were being destroyed, and the number of livestock and crops was gradually decreasing.

"I really wish we knew why so many dragons have been showing up lately," Rogue said.

"That makes two of us," Sting agreed. "It seems like every time we kill off a few, more of them show up. It's like they're migrating or something."

"And there's a chance there will be more," Rogue said.

"I know," Sting sighed.

"If that's the case, then it might be a while before we can actually take a vacation," Lector said with disappointment.

Before they could say anything further, a loud feminine scream echoed from the edge of the town and was soon followed by other voices crying out in terror. The two dragon hunters looked toward the direction that the sound came from and their eyes widened as a large, red dragon appeared with its wings spread out, snarling at the helpless townspeople who were desperately trying to get away from it.

"Where the hell did that thing come from!?" Rogue said.

"Now's not the time to worry about that, we need to get down there, c'mon!" Sting urged as he grabbed his sword and took off down the hill with Lector clinging to his shoulder and Rogue right behind him carrying Frosch.

"S-slow down a little, will ya? I'm gonna fall off!" Lector said as he tried to maintain his grip on Sting's brown leather jacket. But the young dragon hunter just kept on running as fast as he could as he and Rogue made their way through the town past the civilians that were fleeing for their lives.

The dragon stood at the very end of the town, which was edged by mountains. Rocks cracked under its large claw as it neared toward its prey. As Sting reached and Rogue reached their destination and stopped several feet away from the beast, Sting saw that it was about to strike a civilian, whom he realized was a young woman. She had short, light silver hair and was wearing an ecru-colored vest over a long-sleeved white short, a blue skirt, brown boots, and a brown bag was slung over her left shoulder. She sat pressed up against a mountain, staring up into the dragon's eyes, paralyzed by fear. The dragon's lips reeled back as it stood on his hind legs and raised its right claw to strike her down. At once, Sting sprang into action, drawing his sword as he raced forward toward the beast.

"Holy Light's Blade SLASH!" The young dragon hunter leapt into the air and came down on the dragon, slashing its right shoulder. The beast growled in reeled back with large glowing white gash on its shoulder.

Sting landed on the ground, pulling the girl with him as he rolled away from the dragon. When they were at a safe distance, he pushed himself off and looked down at her…and suddenly felt his heart stop at what he saw. The girl had her eyes shut and opened them to reveal glazed orbs of brown, outlined by long eyelashes. Her face, full of youth, was slender and flawless, and Sting instantly thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Before he could say anything, the dragon's tail came crashing down on them, causing the ground to shake and the girl's head to hit the ground hard, knocking her out. Sting glared up at the dragon, whose piercing yellow eyes were locked on him, its lips pulled back in a threatening snarl.

Rogue suddenly appeared at Sting's side. "Don't get distracted; you've made it angry and now it's looking for a fight."

"Aren't they always? Now let's take care of him," Sting said and then glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious girl. "Lector, Frosch, you two look after the girl while Rogue and I take the big guy here."

"You got it, Sting!" Lector said as he and Frosch ran to the girl's side.

With that, Sting and Rogue faced their opponent and charged forward.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

((Flashback))

_Yukino stood at the edge of her demolished village, dressed and ready for what she suspected would be a long and difficult journey, waiting for Houka who said he had something important to give to her. To be honest, she was quite nervous because she wasn't sure where to even begin looking for the other eleven keys, and also because she had never been left her home before. Her father was the only person she knew who had been outside the village and what she knew about the outside world she heard about from him through stories of his travels. To be going out alone was both exciting and nerve-wracking, for Yukino could only imagine what she might encounter on her travels. Despite being nervous, Yukino knew she was the one who had to complete this mission, for she was the one chosen to succeed the great Ayuma as the Celestial Priestess. If the dark guild Grimoire Heart was searching for Zeref to summon the great evil known as the Dark Numen, then her clan will not be the only one that will face great loss. Girls like Yukino will lose their families, too, and the young woman understood all too well how it felt to lose loved ones. And she wasn't about to let what happened to her happen to anyone else, at least without trying to stop it. _

"_Dear Yukino", the girl looked up and saw Houka holding a small, palm-sized object in his hand. He handed it to her and she saw it was some sort of compass whose face held twelve small icons, which she recognized as the signs of the zodiac , circling around two pointers._

"_This is the Zodiac Compass," The chief elder said. "It will tell you where to find the rest of the keys. The red pointer will show you which key is near and the blue pointer will tell you which direction to head towards to find it. All you have to do is ask it to tell you where to find the key."_

"_I have to ask it?" Yukino said in disbelief. _

"_The compass will guide you, child," Houka said. "As long as you put your faith in whichever way it points."_

_Yukino looked down at the compass and sighed. "Oh, Compass of the Zodiac, I ask you to show me the way, guide me to the key and light my path."_

_At her words, the compass began to spin slowly. The red pointer drifted to an icon of a goat, which Yukino knew was the sign for Capricorn, as the blue pointer drifted eastward and stopped. Yukino looked at Houka, who nodded approvingly._

"_You have begun your first step," he said. " And now that you know where to start, you can begin your journey."_

_Yukino smiled softly at the old man, yet she was sad, for she knew not when she would see her old teacher again. He had been almost like a father to her ever since her real father had passed away and she didn't know how she could ever say good-bye to him or leave her birthplace. Houka must have sensed what she was feeling, for he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly. _

"_Don't worry, child," he said. "This is not really good-bye; we shall see each other again someday. And even though we're apart, we will always be under the same sky. May the stars guide you, my dear Yukino."_

_Yukino nodded and embraced the old man, then turned and started heading east, placing the compass inside her brown bag that was slung over her shoulder, and silently bid farewell to the place she called home. _

_Traveling in the direction the compass pointed, Yukino walked east for several miles, stopping every once in awhile to rest. It wasn't very long before nightfall and since she was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by plains of grass and trees, Yukino had to made do with camping out under a large oak tree. She hoped she would make to a village soon before her food supply ran out. Much to her delight, after walking for several hours the next day, she spotted what looked like a small town in the distance. After walking a bit more, she came across what looked like an entrance and saw people bustling about around the town. She wondered where she might find something to eat when a rather large shadow came into view right above her. The townspeople started crying out in terror and running away as they saw whom the shadow belonged to. Yukino looked up and gasped at the sight of a large red dragon snarling and staring down at her. She slowly backed away from it, hitting something hard and she saw it was the edge of a mountain. The beast's eyes stayed locked on her and neared closer. Yukino stayed where she was, knowing that if she ran, she would die. But it would seem that death was inevitable, as she was cornered and had no way of getting out. And then the dragon raised its claw…._

((End of Flashback))

"Haaa!" Both Sting and Rogue cried out as they leapt forward and slashed either sides of the dragon's neck. The wounds they inflicted with their swords shone white and black, and the beast cried out in agony as it fell to the ground on. As it went down, Sting seized his chance and thrust the Holy Light's Blade deep into the dragon's heart. With an agonizing moan, the beast's eyes rolled back and then took its last breath.

Panting, Sting stepped back and let out a sight, then dusted himself off. His clothes were splattered with blood as was his face and hands. Now he would definitely have to take a bath. He looked over at Rogue, who had managed to barely get any blood or dirt on him, and was staring down at the dead dragon with a perplexed look.

"I bet you're thinking what I'm thinking," Sting said. The situation was all too strange.

"I thought we had vanquished all the dragons in this area," his partner said. "Where did this one come from? And how is it no one noticed it coming until the last minute?"

"Dunno," said Sting. "They're impossible to miss, aren't they? It's like it just showed up out of nowhere."

"Well, you took care of it, didn't ya?" Lector said as he and Frosch walked over. "What else really matters?"

"I guess we can worry about it later," Sting said as he sheaved his sword behind him. "How's the girl?"

"She's still unconscious," Lector said as the four of them looked over at Yukino, who was still lying on the ground.

Sting walked over and crouched over her, taking in her condition. It didn't seem like she was injured but her appearance was quite unkempt after what just happened, though she was still quite lovely. Rogue came over and knelt beside Sting.

"Think we should take her to see a doctor?" He asked as he looked over the young woman with concern.

"I don't think she really needs one," Sting said. "I say we take her back to the inn with us. When she wakes up, we can ask her and then decide whether or not she needs to see a doctor."

"Are you sure?" Rogue said. "She might be a thief, you know. Look," he pulled out something gold from Yukino's bag, which lay next to her. "It's gold; you know how dragons like gold, that's probably why the thing was after her. And who says this belongs to her?"

"You might be right," Sting said. "But we still don't know for sure. It's also possible that she's a witch, and she brought that thing here using a mind-control spell."

"Doubtful, people still would've seen it coming," Rogue said. "And even she was controlling it, why would it attack her?"

"Maybe she suddenly lost control," Sting said. "Or maybe she just wanted someone to think it was. Either way, we won't get any answers just by sitting here and wondering."

He carefull lifted Yukino up and carried her bridal style. "Let's get her back to the inn and then when she wakes up, we can ask her."

Rogue nodded and followed him along with Lector and Frosch as they headed to their inn.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you all like chapter 4 and are enjoying the story so far. Just so you know, followers are great but it would be really nice to get a comment. Thank you! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

On an isolated island in the south sea stood a large stone castle, and inside it was a large room where the members of Grimoire Heart before their master, the black wizard Zeref. The young-looking man sat on a throne in the center of the room and stared down at the young wizards with stone cold eyes. Hades, the leader and an the eldest of them all, knelt in front of him with his disciples Ultear and Zancrow flanked beside him. Behind them were the other members Meredy, Zoldeo, Rustyrose, Kain Hikaru, Azuma, and Bluenote.

"So…you have failed, have you?" Zeref asked coldly.

"My deepest apologies, my lord," Hades said humbly as he shut his eyes. "Despite our best efforts, it seems that the Celestial Priestess somehow eluded us, as did the Key of the Scales and the Zodiac Compass."

Zeref frowned. "You realize that without the Celestial Priestess or the Zodiac Compass, our only way of finding the other eleven keys is through my magic power, which can only sense their presence, not pinpoint their location."

"With all due respect, my lord, it wasn't necessarily our fault," Zancrow said. "There was this old guy and he stopped us from finding the girl. We don't know what he did but thanks to him, she got away. And not only that but Kawazu and Yomazu kind of screwed everything up, that's why they're not around anymore, so we-"

"Silence!" Zeref's cried, causing the wizards to cringe at the sound of his voice booming over. "It matters not who's at fault; your actions have already set off a chain of events that will soon come to pass. I have already seen that the Celestial Priestess has started out on her mission and if she succeeds, the Spirit King will be summoned and I will not have the power to defeat him."

"What would you like us to do, my lord?" Hades said.

Zeref stood up. "I cannot have anything interfering with my plans; we must continue to seek out the rest of the keys and gather them before the Celestial Priestess can. And if she interferes, then kill her."

"Understood," Hades nodded.

* * *

Yukino slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She saw that she was lying on a bed in a room that looked like the inside of a cottage. Her head throbbed slightly and felt cold. When she touched it, she found cold damp cloth was pressed up against her forehead and as she sat up, she saw she was wearing a white nightgown.

It was obviously clear that someone had brought her here and had been taking care of her. Yukino closed her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened. And then it came back to her; she was attacked by a dragon and saved by a young man with blond hair, and that was she remembered before blacking out. Perhaps it was the man who had brought her here. Yukino suddenly thought back to when their eyes met before she lost consciousness. He certainly was handsome and she could not stop the feeling of electricity running down her spine as he gazed at her from above with an awed expression. But if he was the one who had brought her here, where was he now? As Yukino thought this, the door that led into the room and out swung open, and in the doorway stood the young man in question looking over at her.

"So you're awake, are you?" Sting said as he walked over and stood beside Yukino's bed. "How's your head?"

"Better, I think," Yukino said. The throbbing had indeed died down a little yet still felt numb from the cold dampness of the cloth. "I don't think it's that serious, anyway."

"Thought not," Sting smirked at her. "You're really lucky, you know."  
"I suppose I am," Yukino said. "Thank you for saving me, by the way."

Sting shrugged. "It's what I do, although I mostly get paid. I gotta say though, it seems like you were just asking to for that dragon to eat you". For the foot of her bed, he produced her satchel, reached into it, and pulled the Key of the Scales. "This here's gold, and dragons would kill to get their claws on it, not that they wouldn't do so otherwise. You should be more careful carrying this around with you."

"You're right, I'll be sure to remember for now on," Yukino said.

Sting eyed her suspiciously and held up the key. "This looks mighty expensive, where'd you get it from?"

"It was given to me," Yukino said innocently. "From my village elder."

Sting raised an eyebrow at her and turned the key over in his hand. Suddenly Yukino had a feeling that he didn't entirely believe her and realized what he was getting at.

"I didn't steal it," she said defensively. "It's _mine_."

"And can you prove that?" Sting interrogated.

Yukino suddenly fell back and looked down.

"No, I can't," she said quietly. "But I can afford to lose it, it's….too valuable to me."

It might have been the way she said it but something told Sting that the girl wasn't a thief. Perhaps she wasn't a witch either but he had a feeling that she was something special. It was that that made him hand the key over to her. Yukino smiled as he did so.

"You've got nothing to do with that dragon, do you?" Sting said.

"Why would I?" Yukino asked.

"Hey, you may not be a thief but you could still be a witch for all I know," Sting said.

"Well, you could be a smuggler or a slave trader," Yukino scrunched up against the headboard, clutching the key. "How do I know you didn't just save me so you could smuggle me onto a ship later?"

"Hey, Sting's no smuggler!" A small voice piped up from below them. Lector climbed up onto the bed and frowned at Yukino with his arms crossed. "And that's no way to talk to the guy who saved your life!"

Yukino gaped at the maroon cat. "I, uh, must have bumped my head harder than I thought because…I think that cat just spoke."

"He did," Sting said. "And it wouldn't be the first time we've gotten that reaction because he opened his mouth."

"Is it magic?" Yukino asked.

"No," Lector said. "But as you can probably guess, I'm not an ordinary cat. My name is Lector, and I'm an Exceed, an extremely rare breed of feline, which is probably why you've never seen one before as I can imagine."

"You're right, I haven't," said Yukino. "But then again, there's a lot I haven't seen yet. I really haven't been anywhere outside my village until recently."

"You don't say," said Sting. "And where exactly are you from?"

"I'm from Star Village," Yukino said, feeling a lump in her throat as she spoke. "The home of the Zodiac Clan."

"I see, and have you got a name?" Sting asked.

"My name is Yukino," the girl said. "Yukino Aguria, and I am not a witch."

Sting smirked and placed his hands behind his head. "That's just the kind of thing a witch would say if she didn't want anyone to think she was one."  
"What makes you think I'm a witch?" Yukino asked as her eyes narrowed.

"Well, no one saw that dragon coming," said Sting. "Which is weird because they aren't hard to miss. I'm thinking someone must have brought it here, and that someone could have been you for all I know. You were probably just making it look like you were in trouble."

"I most certainly was not!" Yukino snapped. "What motive could I possibly have for doing something like that?"

"I don't think she's the one who brought it here, Sting," Rogue suddenly appeared in the doorway with his arms crossed and Frosch perched on his shoulder.

"Rogue" Sting acknowledged his partner.

"I just did a thorough check on the dragon's corpse," the dark haired man continued as he stepped into the room. "Its eyes had dark spots in the center, which is an indicator of a Coercion spell."

"So what?" Sting said.

"So from I've heard, a Coercion spell is defense mechanism, one that the castor uses a safety guard," said Rogue. "Once casted, the target only attacks those the castor sees as their enemy. It won't attack the castor herself."

"So you're saying it couldn't have been Yukino because it attacked her?" Lector asked.

"That's right," Rogue said. "And if it was attacking her, then that means someone wanted her dead."

The two young men and their cats looked at Yukino, who was thinking hard. So someone had sent the dragon to attack her and she could only think of one person who seemed like he would be able something like that: Zeref. Master Houka said he was an extremely powerful wizard and from what Yukino had heard, wizards often had the power of premonition and clairvoyance along with many lethal abilities. He had probably already seen that she was searching for the remaining keys and sent the dragon to stop her. And if Zeref knew where she was, Yukino would not be surprised if he sent another dragon or some other monster after her. She couldn't let that happen when there were people around. She had been fortunate that the two dragon hunters had been there to eradicate the dragon before it could cause harm to anyone else. She needed to get away, far away from the bystanders as possible, before the next possible attack. Yukino sprang out of bed and gathering her belongings.

Sting raised one of his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," Yukino said. "It's too risky for me to stay here, it'll just cause trouble."

"What do you mean?" Lector asked. "Is there really someone after you?"

"I think so," Yukino said as she put on her clothes. "And I have a feeling he's going to strike again."

"What, you mean like send another dragon?" Sting said offhandedly. "Me and Rogue can handle those guys easy. There's nothing to worry about."

"It may not be a dragon next time," Yukino said. "It may be something worse."

"What could be worse than a dragon?" Sting asked. He personally couldn't think of anything that could even be remotely worse.

"I don't know," Yukino said as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "But I bet there's probably something and, whatever it is, I don't want innocent people getting hurt by it. That's why I have to leave; if I'm the target here, then everyone near me is in danger. I am grateful to you for saving my life and I hope I can repay the favor one day but for now I must go. Good bye."

With that, Yukino walked out of the room. Sting and Rogue watched her leave, shared a look, and then followed her out with Lector and Frosch right on their tails.

"Wait!" Sting cried as they followed Yukino outside the inn. He ran up and stepped in front of her, causing her to stop in her tracks. Yukino tried to walk away but he stopped her. One look into his eyes told her what he wanted and she could tell that he was just curious. Even so, she didn't want him to get involved and there was a chance he would if he knew everything.

Yukino sighed. "Listen, I can tell you want answers but I think it would be better if I didn't tell you everything. I'm sorry but you have to let me go."

Sting's eyes narrowed. "Just what makes so sure this person who's after you is going to strike twice?"

Yukino paused and looked down. "Because we're both after the same thing."

"And he's willing to go to extremes to stop you from getting it," Rogue concluded.

Yukino nodded. "I'm sure he'll do whatever it takes to stop me but I can't let him get his hands on it, either. If he does, it'll be a catastrophe. I should get going before it's too late."

She pushed past Sting and Rogue and started walking the towards the town exit. Sting watched her go and suddenly felt his chest tighten. He didn't know exactly why but he was reluctant to let Yukino leave. There was just something about her that was interesting, that he didn't normally see in other women. He was also intrigued to know what secrets she was hiding. Suddenly, he thought of something.

"Does this have something to do with that key you have?" He asked Yukino.

The young girl stopped and slowly turned to face him. She had been right about him being curious but she didn't think he would be so persistent about it. Even so, Yukino couldn't ignore the trustful look in his eyes and realized she had very little to lose by telling him, no matter how much she didn't want to get him involved.

"Yes," she said. "It is the key that opens the gate of the Scales of the Zodiac, Libra. It is one of the Twelve Zodiac Keys."

"And what is so special about these Zodiac keys?" Rogue asked.

"Once gathered together, the Twelve Zodiac Keys can summon the Celestial Spirit King," said Yukino. "A being more powerful than any other, and the only person powerful enough to summon him using the keys is the Celestial Priestess, which is me."

"Okay, so why do you want to summon this Celestial Spirit King dude?" Sting asked.

"As I said, he is a being more powerful than any other, and any wizard," said Yukino. "He is the only one with the power to vanquish the black wizard, Zeref. I suspect Zeref is the one who sent the dragon and is one who is attempting to stop me from finding the other eleven keys, which have been scattered across the country by the forefathers of my clan, to keep Zeref and his followers from finding them."

"So why does this Zeref guy want the keys if it summons a guy who can kill him?" Sting asked.

"The gathering of the twelve keys serves two purposes," Yukino said. "One is to summon the Celestial Spirit King, and another is to summon a great evil force, one called the Dark Numen. That's what Zeref wants; if he summons the Dark Numen, then the world will fall into chaos."

"So that's why you want to stop him," Rogue said.

"Yes," Yukino said. "Because I'm the only one who can. But first, I must collect all twelve keys."

"Well, do you know where you'll find the next one?" Sting asked.

Yukino nodded and pulled the Zodiac Compass. "This compass can guide me to it, to all of them. It said that the next key was eastward bound, so I was heading in that direction when the dragon appeared."

"East, huh?" Sting said. "Then you'll towards Red Canyon, that place is pretty full of dragons right now. And since dragons love gold, you're going to be one heck of a target with that gold key of yours."

"What are you getting at, Sting?" Lector asked.

The young man shrugged. "I don't see the harm in tagging along with her, for protection, just until she's out of the canyon."

"What about our next job?" Rogue asked.

"We can head to it after we're done," Sting said. "It's not that far off and a small delay can't hurt. Besides, I really don't like the idea of a young girl going into a canyon full of dragons by herself."

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I can't pay you much," Yukino said, although the idea of having two dragon hunters with her did make her feel safer.

Sting smirked at her. "I'm sure we can work something out."

Rogue sighed. "I suppose it's only right that we protect her since we're dragon hunters."

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

"Then it's settled," Sting said and started walking, then turned back and smiled at Yukino. "We'll be your guides through Red Canyon!"

Seeing how she wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise, Yukino resented and started following Sting out of town.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Aaagh! This damn heat is killing me!" Zancrow complained as he and his comrades stood alongside a cliff overseeing Red Canyon. As per Hades' orders, they had traveled to the canyon to find the Zodiac key that Zeref had sensed was there. Red Canyon was cut deep into the Earth and went on for miles; its red rock walls narrowed and widened along the way, and inside them rang the echoes of both man and dragon.

"This place is so damn big it'd take days to find the stupid key!" Zancrow continued to complain. "And it's so hot out here that we'll probably pass out from the heat before we're even close to finding it!"

Meredy frowned at him. "I would have thought you would've been used to being in the heat how you can control fire."

Zancrow scowled and crossed his arms. Next to him, Bluenote leaned forward over the edge of the cliff and peered down into the canyon.

"It doesn't seem like there are any dragons down there. What a shame, I was hoping that I would at least get to fight one of them," he said.

"I'm sure that there's more than a few down there somewhere," Ultear said with a smile. "But let's try to focus on why we're here. We can't let the Celestial Priestess find the key before we do."

"Well, even if she does, we can just nab the thing from her pretty little hands," Zancrow sneered.

"And then feed her to some dragons, perhaps?" Bluenote suggested.

"I'd prefer to cause her intense pain first," Meredy said with a smirk.

"We'll decide what to do with her if and when we see her," Ultear looked over her shoulder at her comrades and smiled. "And if she does happen to be down there, then I'd say that luck is on our side. Not only will we have the Key of the Goat but the Key of the Scales as well. We'll have killed two birds with one stone."

* * *

Yukino held her breath as she took in the site before her. She had heard about Red Canyon from her father and other travelers that came to her village but never had she thought that she would get to see it with her own eyes. It was so large and so vast, and for a moment she wondered how she was ever going to find the key in a place so large as this. The canyon went out farther than the eye could see and cutting across it would take at least a day's journey. Finding a key in a place like this would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But then Yukino remembered the compass and felt like she had a better chance of finding the key than she thought.

"So I guess down is where we're heading, huh?" Lector, who along with Frosch stood beside Yukino on the edge of the canyon, looked down with a look of discomfort on his face.

"Looks kind of scary," Frosch cringed and stepped back.

Yukino looked down at the two with a worried expression. "You two aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

Lector's head shot up and he looked up at Yukino with a shaky smile. "N-no, of course not! It's just that…um…"

Yukino cocked her head to the side. "Just what?"

Lector shook his head. "It's nothing,"

Yukino said nothing but stared at him as Sting and Rogue walked over.

"If you guys are done admiring the view, I think we better head down," Sting said.

"We've already got water and everything; we should be good for at least a couple days," said Rogue.

"How long do you think it'll take to find this key you're looking for?" Sting asked Yukino.

"I really couldn't say," she replied. "The compass doesn't tell me if it's close by or not, it only shows me the way to it."

"Well, then let's just hope we find it before our provisions run out," Sting said.

"Let's also hope that a dragon hasn't found it first," Rogue said.

"Got that right, better get a move on," Sting said. Lector climbed up onto his shoulder as Frosch did the same with Rogue.

Yukino peered down into the canyon. "Uh, how exactly do we get there-waah!"

She squealed as Sting lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style, leapt forward, and slid sideways off the wall of the canyon down into the pit with Rogue right beside him. He skidded to a stop at the bottom as Rogue did the same and Lector jumped down from his shoulder.

Yukino caught her breath and looked at Sting with a stunned expression. "What, we couldn't have just walked down here?"

"Could have, but it's much faster this way," he smirked.

Yukino frowned. "You could have given me a heads up, you know."

"Yeah, I guess," Sting said with a mischievous smile. "But that panicked expression is just so adorable."

Yukino blushed and looked away.

Sting smirked. '_She's cute when she's blushes, too', _he thought to himself.

"Um, Sting?" Yukino said.

"Hm?" He said.

"Y-you can put me down now," she said.

Sting hadn't realized he was still holding her. He placed her down and turned away quickly as his face turned red.

"S-sorry," he said.

"It's okay," Yukino said as she looked away.

Lector looked up from where they had slid down and began to tremble. "It's so high up…", he whispered quietly.

"What was that, buddy?" Sting looked down at his exceed friend.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Lector said quickly.

Yukino couldn't help but notice the fear in his eyes as they trailed up to the edge of the canyon. Before she could say anything, a loud rumble came from the group's left, causing them to look up in the direction of the sound.

"Was that a dragon?" Yukino asked.

"Yeah, and it sounds like it's pretty close by," said Sting.

"I hope we don't to have to go _that_ way to find the key," Lector said, still looking in the direction the sound came from.

"Fro hopes so, too," Frosch nodded in agreement.

_'__So do I'_, Yukino thought to herself. She didn't think she could handle another one of those monsters again. She took out her compass and consulted it. To her relief, it pointed westward, away from where the rumbling came from.

"It's this way," Yukino pointed.

The others followed her, heading west and leaving the sound of a hungry dragon behind them. The group traveled west, then east, and then south, following the compass's point, until the sun began to set. As it disappeared along the edge of canyon, Sting stopped walking.

"I think we should stop here for today. It's going to be dark soon and it'll be hard to find anything at night," he said. "I spotted a cave not too far from here. We can make camp there and then continue our search in the morning."

Rogue nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea; if we hide out in a cave that's small enough, we should be safe from the dragons."

Lector collapsed onto the ground followed by Frosch. "And we could really use a bit of rest and some food right now."  
The group followed Sting's lead to a cave hollowed out in the canyon's wall. Luckily, it was wide enough for three people and two cats but not enough for a dragon. Sting and Rogue salvaged all the wood they could find without wandering too far away from the cave and started a fire, which lit the walls of the cave with its warm golden glow. It wasn't long after the group had eaten dinner when Rogue and the Exceeds lay down and went to sleep while Sting and Yukino sat by the fire watching them.

"You can go ahead and get some rest," Sting said to the young woman. "I'll stay and be watchman; wouldn't want any sneaking up and roasting us. Even if this cave is too small for one, I'll bet its fire can reach in here just fine."

"So you're just going to stay up all night?" Yukino asked worriedly.

Sting shook his head. "Nah, I'll wake Rogue up in a few hours and have him take over and then I'll rest. One of the good things about having a partner is that you don't have to worry too much about letting your guard down. Having someone to watch your back really comes in handy when you're hunting dragons, as well."

"It is nice to know you're not alone," Yukino said with a smile. "I may have gone along with this at first only because I could see that there was no point arguing with you but I'm actually glad you guys came along. I probably wouldn't have lasted very long in this canyon if you hadn't."

"Yeah, probably not," Sting admitted as he leaned back using his hands to support himself. "I mean, you're carrying gold and dragons love to hoard priceless items. Rogue and I have come across dragon nests crammed with gold, silver, and jewels. We don't know why they like to keep things like that around but we know that dragons will rip people's limbs off if they're wearing gold."

"Goodness," Yukino covered her mouth. "I guess everything people hear about dragons is true then, huh? They really are quite ferocious."

"Yeah, and they can be pretty hard to kill, too," Sting said. "With their nearly impenetrable rock-hard skin, it's impossible to run them through with an ordinary sword."

"What about yours?" Yukino's eyes fell on Sting's Holy Light's Blade, which rested between them.

"The Holy Light's Blade is not ordinary," Sting said as he picked up his sword and unsheathed. Its blade reflected the flicker of light from the fire. "This sword contains the power of the Great White Dragon. It was handcrafted by my great-great grandfather, from the claw and fang of a dragon whom he killed."

He looked Yukino right in the eye. "This dragon, the Great White Dragon, was one of the strongest of its kind in existence. Its bright white flames and white claws could cut through and burn anything, and it had the strength of a thousand men.

"After the dragon killed his parents, my great-great-grandfather, Ephraim Eucliffe, searched for a way to stop the beast once and for all. He discovered that the only thing strong to penetrate a dragon's scales is a dragon's talon or fang. So he went out to the dragon's lair and taunted it until it emerged from its cave and attacked him. During their scuffle, he managed to climb up to the beast's mouth and yanked it open, and jerked out one of its fangs. With it in hand, he stabbed the beast in the heart and it fell down to the ground. One of its talons broke off when it fell and with it and the fang, Ephraim forged a sword, one that held the power of the Great White Dragon's flame and came to be known as the Holy Light's Blade as its blade shone with the radiance of heaven's light. My great-great grandfather became known as one of the first people to ever kill a dragon and over the years, he slayed countless more, increasing the sword's strength every time it basked in their blood. When he grew old, he passed down the sword to his son and then his son passed to my grandfather, and so on."

"Wow, your family has quite a history," Yukino was amazed. "You must be proud to be related to one of the first people to ever slay a dragon."

"Well, yeah" Sting smirked. "I mean, my great-great granddad sure has made history and gained quite the reputation." He looked up at the stars through the entrance of the cave. "But I'm going to be even better than he was; I'm going to be a better dragon hunter than any of them were. That's my number one goal, to prove Ephraim isn't the only one who can make history. And then I'd like to see those after me try to show me up."

"So then you have a dream," Yukino said quietly and looked down. "That's nice."

Now that she thought about it, Yukino realized she never quite knew what she wanted to do with her life. Living happily with her mother and sister had always seemed more than enough for her, although her mother would insist that getting married and raising a family of her own would be a much more fulfilling life. She never really made any plans for her future and now realized that she would probably have to after she finished her mission. Perhaps she would go back and help her clan rebuild their home. But then what? Should she stay there or try to find a new home? Try to find a husband? She had never really considered it before but now it didn't seemed like such a bad idea. At least she would never be alone if she were married. But who would want to marry her, a girl with no money, no family, nothing to offer except herself? Yukino suddenly looked over at Sting, who was adding wood to the fire. They had only known each other for a day and yet she had to wonder if someone like Sting would want to marry her. More importantly, she wondered if someone like Sting would make a good husband. Even though he seemed like a decent guy, Yukino wasn't really sure if he was really the kind of person she'd want to spend her life with. Then again, she also wasn't really what kind of man she'd want to marry.

"So, uh, are you even going to sleep?" Sting asked, pulling Yukino out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, right," she said. "I probably should, good-night."

With that, she lay down with her back facing Sting. A few minutes later, the young dragon hunter heard the soft sound of breathing, indicating that Yukino had fallen asleep. He looked over at her; she had turned over on her side and was facing him with a calm, peaceful look on her sleeping face. Sting smiled softly; he had only just met the girl and here he was, sharing his family history with her and telling her of his goals. He didn't know why but for some reason, he didn't feel the need to keep anything from her. Not that he felt like that there was anything to hide from anybody but Sting felt like he could trust Yukino with his darkest secrets if he had any.

"Why are you staring at Yukino with that grin?" A voice suddenly piped up. Sting looked up and saw Rogue wide awake.

"I-I wasn't staring-!" He started to shout but caught himself and said in a low voice. "I wasn't staring at her."

"I know what I saw," Rogue said. "You looked like a pervert with that grin on your face."

"Well, I'm not," Sting said. "So there isn't anything to worry about. You can go back to sleep."

"I would but I'm totally awake now," Rogue said. "It might be a bit early but we can switch now if you want."

"Yeah, sure," Sting said and got up from his spot next to the fire.

_Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr _

_A _great rumbling sound suddenly emerged from outside the cave, causing both dragon hunters to turn towards the opening, knowing too well what had made it.

"What's going on?" Lector asked groggily as he and Frosch awoke. The maroon cat rubbed his eyes and his ears perked up at the sound of rumbling coming from outside. He suddenly jumped up along with Frosch as the ground began to shake. A massive claw covered with scales suddenly slammed into the ground outside the cave, causing Yukino to awaken and look towards the entrance and see what was there.

"Is that what I think it is?" She asked.

"What else could it be?! We gotta get out of here!" Sting cried as debris and dirt began to fall from the ceiling began to crumble as the earth trembled.

Slugging his sword over his shoulder, Sting ran past Yukino, grabbing her hand, with Rogue right behind him as well as Lector and Frosch. They ran out of the cave and stopped dead in their tracks as a massive shadow loomed over them. As they looked up at the source, they were greeted by the sight of three very large dragons, each with glowing yellow eyes and wisps of smoke coming out of their noses.

"Oh,snap," Sting said.


End file.
